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Childhood Practice & SVQ Provision

SVQ 2 Playwork

Campus OL - Open Learning/Cross Campus

Qualification SCQF Level 6

Study mode Open learning

Start date Sept 2025

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Course overview

The SVQ 2 Playwork is a qualification that the SSSC accept to register as a support worker.

It is designed as an introductory qualification that will confirm your skills and knowledge at this level. The course will cover key topics relevant to working with children and/or young people in a day care setting where the focus is on providing play opportunities.

It's a great way to achieve a qualification while working. It links knowledge to daily work practice, making it relevant and useful to your current job role.

The fee for this course is £900.

What you will learn

The award has 7 units - 5 mandatory units and 2 optional choices.

Mandatory units

  • Contribute to the development and maintenance of relationships with children, young people, and others in the playwork setting
  • Create playwork settings that support freely chosen, self-directed play
  • Contribute to the health, safety and well-being of children and young people in the playwork setting
  • Evaluate to improve your own practice and the work of your playwork team
  • Identify safeguarding concerns relating to children and young people in the playwork setting

Optional units include

  • Contribute to undertaking risk assessments in the playwork setting
  • Provide food and drink in the playwork setting
  • Prepare and facilitate specific play opportunities
  • Contribute to supporting disabled children and young people in the playwork setting
  • Contribute to playwork administration
  • Support a child with additional support needs
  • Contribute to the effectiveness of teams

Placement information

  • Applicants are required to be working in a setting for children and/or young people.
  • This can be a school, nursery, after-school club or holiday provision.
  • Please give details of this in your personal statement.

How the course is assessed

  • Students are allocated an assessor who works with them to plan opportunities to gather evidence to demonstrate that they meet the qualification criteria.
  • This is done through workplace observations, writing reflective accounts of situations in the workplace, and answering questions and discussions.

Number of days per week

  • There is an optional online evening class one evening per month and regular online and in-person support meetings with an assessor.

Entry requirements

  • A good level of written and spoken English.
  • A commitment to study.
  • Evidence of study on a previous course, eg Get into Childcare, Skills for Work, preferred but not essential.
  • Basic IT skills to use the e-portfolio, email and MS Teams.
  • Applicants must be employed in a setting working with children and/or young people.

Please include full details of how you meet these entry requirements in your Personal Statement.

English Proficiency Requirements

To enable our students the best opportunity of achieving this course, applicants for whom English is an additional language require an existing English language certificate at IELTS Level 5 or equivalent. Alternatively, additional language applicants will be required to undertake an English Language Assessment at the College. There will be a cost of £20 for this test unless you are in receipt of Job Seekers Allowance, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit, Disability Benefit or Income Support or if you are an asylum seeker or refugee.  English proficiency at IELTS Level 5 or equivalent is a course requirement.  If you would like any more information on this, contact katie.kent2@edinburghcollege.ac.uk 

Progression and Articulation Routes

  • SVQ 3 Playwork
  • HNC Childhood Practice
  • SVQ 3 Social Services Children and Young People

Career options

Support worker in a setting providing care for children and/or young people.

This can include - 

  • nurseries
  • after school clubs
  • working in schools as a pupil support assistant or additional support needs auxiliary
  • holiday clubs

Study Options

Campus Study mode Start date
OL - Open Learning/Cross Campus Open learning 03/09/25

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